December 30, 2013

Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year! I hope everyone´s Christmas was very special and it was enjoyed talking with family. I know that that was the highlight of mine.

Quickly, Happy Birthday to Becky Smith and Ryan McKell! I`m way behind on birthdays, but I hope they were wonderful.

So let`s see. We really couldn`t get into houses at all on Tuesday or Wednesday. People were very busy getting ready to celebrate Noche Buena. They really don`t celebrate Christmas day here. The tradition basically is that they stay up until midnight Christmas Eve, eat dinner together as a family, open gifts, go out and light off fireworks, and then they go to sleep. By Christmas day it`s pretty much all done. 

Tuesday we made visits to some members and in the night time we went to the first counselor in the mission presidency`s house, President Mendez, for dinner. His house is pretty small, but we all (this half of the mission) seemed to fit in there. It was three zones and I was able to see some of my best friends in the mission. We did a secret santa thing within each of our zones. I had Elder Cunningham, my district leader, and I bought him a nerf gun. I know I`m the coolest. He loved it and I`m pretty sure he lost half the darts within 10 minutes. We got back to our room around 9:30 and the lady that we rent our room from came to our door and asked if we had eaten yet. They know that we come home around 9 and that we aren`t with our families so they invited us to come eat dinner with them early. She was nervous when we weren`t in at our normal time and went looking for us at our pensionista`s house. So we went over and had another dinner with them...we were technically in our house still.... we couldn`t help it. She is such a sweet lady.

Wednesday was fun. It started rough because I really struggled sleeping through a bajillion fireworks and loudness outside my window, but we got up and H. Lasike opened her gifts and after our studies we went to an investigator`s house for breakfast. We got permission from our pensionista so we were clear haha. Then we went around and visited members until lunch and after lunch we went to the chapel for the talent show with President Marler and his wife and 3 other zones. They wanted to spend Christmas with all of their ¨kids¨ so they spent the morning with the missionaries in Trujillo and then made the 2 hour drive to Chimbote to spend the afternoon with us. After the talent show we had a testimony meeting where a few of the missionaries shared their testimonies. Then we booked it to our area to Skype with our families. And that is what really made Christmas the happiest. Sure do love you all!

Thursday, surprise! Interviews with President! I always love interviews, really. It was good to sit and talk with him and then his wife.

Then, Friday.....Luis Davila had his baptismal interview. And so did a man named Joel that we have been teaching. Both of them passed. Luis said he still wanted to wait and that he would talk with his wife. So later that night we went to their house and we were talking with them. He was still undecided, but long story short, just before we left, he basically proposed to his wife in the way he told her that he wanted to be baptized with her the next day. 

Saturday the Davila family and Joel were baptized. I got my family. The best part of it was when they bore their testimonies - and this couple that was breaking up when we found them - stood together at the pulpit and you could see that the Spirit had worked miracles in them. Then Sunday they all came in their skirts (girls) and the boys in their white shirts and ties and were confirmed.

Merry Christmas miracle! I love you very much! Have a wonderful and safe new year.

Love, Hermana Butterfield

December 23, 2013

Merry Christmas, everyone!

This last week was really pretty fun. On Saturday morning we made the trip to Trujillo via bus.  It is about a 2 1/2 hour bus ride. When we got there we ate lunch and practiced our songs for the concert. After practicing for a few hours we had dinner and headed over to the plaza. The concert went well and it really was a lot of fun. I got to see my old pensionista and her family for a quick second and a few other members of my first ward. 

Afterwards we hustled over to institute to be there for the bus when it came...it never did. We waited at the institute building outside talking for hours. About 1:30 a.m. when it was determined that the bus really wasn´t coming the hermanas headed to the mission home and they found a place for the elders to stay. We got there and I tried to help get things set up for everyone. They´ve got tons of stuff. We got to bed around 2 or 2:30. We got up and hung out for a while...What do you do when you have nothing to get ready with, no study materials? I and a couple of hermanas helped hermana Marler fix breakfast and get it served. We went to church with the Marlers and then headed out. It was a long, hot bus ride, but it was a fun adventure. 

I love you tons. I hope everything is going well and just know that I can´t wait to talk with you all on Wednesday night!

Love Hermana Butterfield 

December 16, 2013

Hey fam!

Things here are good...they´re getting hot though...and we aren´t even in summer yet. The joys of summer in Chimbote are really hot sand, the smell of fish all night and into the morning, and lots of bugs. I love it though. 

We had a fireside on Friday night that Hermana Lasike and I put together. We had some musical numbers and some short videos and testimonies. A lot of our investigators came as well as menos activos and new converts. It turned out really well. 

We had changes last night. Hermana Lasike and I will stay together for our third change. I really think that President didn´t want to change anyone for Christmas because I think I heard that mission wide there are like 10 changes max. The good thing is we will hopefully see the miracle of the familia Davila being baptized together. We contacted and started teaching them together so it would be really hard if we didn´t get to see them baptized together.

The entire family came to church again, Luis included. I was so happy. Betty, GianFranco, and Claudia also all had their interviews yesterday and passed. They´re all ready, but Luis is just a bit harder. He has almost all the lessons and he seems good, but I think just a bit more time will be good. I want them all to be baptized together.

Well I love you all. I hope you´re doing well and I am excited to see you in about a week!

Love Hermana Butterfield

December 9, 2013

Hola padres! 

I have to buy a new camera...yeah...I got robbed. Don`t worry I`m fine. The sad part is I didn`t even realize it had happened until I got into the taxi. They are skillful here. So I`ve got to buy a new camera...and card. So I will be pulling money out for that. 

When it comes to money and souvenirs, there really aren`t a lot of things in my mission that are very different, so I don`t know that I will end up with a lot. I have bought a few things, but all of the sweaters and niknaks really aren`t that common in my areas. We will see though.

8 months in Peru! What?! Crazy right? We will have changes again in one week. This last transfer went SO fast. We are pretty sure that Hermana Lasike will get changed which is a bummer, but it will be good for her to experience a new area. Each transfer and area is a good growing experience. 

We had success with the familia Davila this week! We had FHE with them at our pensionista`s house -- all of them. The dad included! It went well and then on Thursday we went -- kind of late... -- with the ward leaders for the birthday of their son. It went really well. We then stopped by Saturday and asked if they were coming to the church on Sunday. He said they were planning on it! And they came! All of them! Every stinking one. SUCCESS! I am so thrilled. We have a family. This is what I want most is for this family to be baptized as a family. Please say lots of prayers!

I love you so much!  Love bug

***So we ended up having to get off early earlier because we had a practice for the Christmas program and there wasn´t very good communication, but here I am again!

We had a training meeting with Elder Grow. He is the seventy over our mission. It was a really cool experience. We are really focussing on the Work of Salvation. It no longer is the Missionary work, it´s for everybody. We got there about 8 in the morning and had lunch and everything -- they catered KFC haha -- and were there until 4 in the afternoon. It was definitely interesting and we are trying hard to do what we talked about. We are trying to focus on less active members. We have been promised that if we reactivate more, we will see more baptisms. It makes sense though doesn´t it?

On Saturday we drove to a city Carmen in Chimbote to help out a zone. They are looking at reopening an area and they needed help to go out and contact. It was a big group and they bussed us out to the little pueblo. As we were driving out I looked across the country side and it was almost like being home honestly -- corn fields, onion fields, minus the rice fields it all looked pretty familiar. It was really pretty. We arrived and we took cake house to house and got contacts. I think all in all it was a success. Even the smallest of things loved my and my skin though and I am struggling not to scar my legs from scratching them...hello fleas and mosquitoes. ouch.

I´m trying to think of what else...hmmm....oh yeah! The Christmas devotional. That was good right? I watched it in Spanish of course, but the messages were good and surprise! The Marler's were there! They are never in our area, but his counselor lives in our zone so it made sense to an extent. Anyway it was cool to see them. They always feel bad because they can´t spend too much time in Chimbote and the other areas. Their main area is Trujillo that they have to be, but it´s always fun to see them.

Well I love you. I hope all is well. Stay warm. Keep working and being happy. I love you muchly and love hearing from you. You sound well.

Love bug

November 25, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! I hope you enjoy this time with one another. What a magical time of year. We`ve already moved on to Christmas and as I`m sure you all know I am so entirely excited to already see Christmas trees and decorations up in the homes here. It`s not quite the same in some ways, but so entirely the same in others. I love it. I will miss Thanksgiving, but we`ll just have to make it big next year.

This week we saw many miracles. One of which was the ability that we had to celebrate Claudia`s birthday! This is Claudia Davila. We even got the members involved and we were able to have them come to celebrate with us. One of the members, Sergio, even bought a cake and we decorated it and we all took it over. 


We are really working hard to get the ward members involved in the work. It`s the work of salvation and we won`t always be here. We can`t have new converts if the ward isn`t ready or willing to recieve them. I was so happy to have had the success we did in that home that night. The Lord will only bless a ward in it`s growth if the ward is willing to do something. Hermana Lasike and I have been working hard in this ward and we love the members so much. As missionaries, our role isn`t just for the nonmembers. We have to leave the ward better than we found it. Even if I don`t have much success in the way of baptisms, I can leave a ward better than it was - more strong and ready to help future missionaries. I`m just fine with that.

We have taught this one little old lady a little bit. The lady is a crack up. You just listen to her and can`t help but laugh. She`s just this little chubby thing. We did splits this week and I was with my trainer Hermana Diaz for the day. We went to go visit her and she was telling us these stories about how she used to work a ton and how she had all of these animals. They, of course, eat everything they raise and she was telling us about all these animals they had. Hermana Diaz was like, how did you kill that? because this lady is just so tiny. She just says like it`s not a big thing, with a knife, of course! Then she went on about how she killed it with the knife. When in Peru...

I am definitely grateful for this opportunity that I have been able to have. It is so crazy to think how the time has gone by. I know I`ve learned a lot -- Spanish, more patience, more diligence, more obedience, more doctrine...but I still have got so much more to go. I hope 9 more months is enough for the Lord to shape me so I am who He needs me to be.

I love you all. Keep being good and know how much I love you. Un abrazo!

Con amor,
Hermana Butterfield

November 11, 2013

Hey all!

This week was a good one. As with every week there are good days and there are definitely rough ones, but at the end of the week, I´m happy to say I feel good about the report I am able to give for my area. I love working here and I love the people I serve. Members and non members alike.

We had the opportunity to do a service project on Saturday. We help our new convert scrape the paint from her house so we can paint it this week. It was quite the experience. It´s a water based paint so you just throw some water on there and it scrapes right off. It went really fast and it was nice to put some jeans on and do some work.
 

We talked with the Dad de la familia Davila ayer. We set an appointment to talk with him tonight. I honestly am just more shocked that he even accepted to meet with us. little by little right. Lots of prayers please. 

We haven´t been able to meet with Luis again. He really doesn´t have much interest and it´s really hard for his mom...it´s really hard for me too. He´s just such a good kid. With time and patience though, right?
 

Things are good here. I am enjoying studying and learning more. I am interested once more in the topic of faith. What a concept it is.
 

I love you all and I hope you are doing well. You are in my prayers.

Love bug

Hey just a thought that maybe you could do. Do you remember dear elder? I was thinking if you wanted to use that sometimes as well I´d have more time to respond to your questions or have time to read them more fully. one hour just isn´t a lot of time. We get them almost every Tuesday...it´s a thought.

November 4, 2013

Hey family!

Has it been a week already? I´m glad that all seems to be well with you all. Things here are just fine and we´re just moving right along.

 

Changes were this week --- and Hermana Lasike and I are staying together for one more change! Everyone was sure that she was out of here, but we get to work together for six more weeks here in Bella Mar. They did changes differently this time and we personally didn´t have changes so it doesn´t even feel like we´ve started a new change. Our District leader, Elder Rybertt got changed to an area in Viru, and we have our new District leader Elder Cunningham. He´s from Rexburg. He has less time here in the mission but he seems like a cool kid. Our District is now pure North Americans. What a treat....
 

We have started teaching one of Hermana Maria Esthers sons. Luis is her oldest son and he´s a really good kid. He´s really quiet and it´s hard to get ahold of him sometimes. We´ve taught him the Restauracion and we´ve read the Book of Mormon with him a couple of times. He really just needs a good strong male example in his life. His life, like all of his siblings, has been really rough. Maria Esther has 6 kids with 3 different men, all of which have been very abusive so for him he lacks a good role model. He is so good with his siblings though, but he lacks any real confidence and security which is really hard. I know the Gospel can help him with this. Please pray for him.
 

The familia Davila could be baptized at any moment, but the husband is against it completely. We are going to continue to work with them and I know with time with this family and Luis and the help of the ward, we will see great success. 
 

I love hearing from you and seeing pictures and knowing about your experiences. Thank you for your love and support.
 

Love Hermana Butterfield

xoxoxoxoxoxox

October 28, 2013

HELLO! First off, I love you all. So much. You`re letters are killing me because I can tell that I would be in love with the weather at home right now. It`s not bad here, but since we`re semi coastal the wind is outta control most of the time and the wind brings the lovely smell of fish. But no, let me explain. Chimbote is KNOWN for it`s odor. It permeates everything. But they all say when you can smell fish, you know there`s money...
 

We were happy to have the baptisms of two amazing sisters this weekend. Hermanas Maria Esther and Evaling were baptized on Saturday night and Hermana Maria Esther was confirmed on Sunday. Hermana Evaling is pregnant and wasn`t feeling well so she wasn`t able to make it... It was hard, but I have faith that she will be there this week to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. We had great support from our ward as both of these Hermanas have time investigating the church. They will be strong members in the church and I`m excited to see more of their progress.
 

Hermana Evaling was a miracle because she was supposed to be married on Saturday in the matrimonio massivo, but for whatever reason, it fell through. Hermana Lasike and I went to her house to inform her, but we were doing everything we could to figure out another way to do it. When we went she wasn`t home and to be honest I was relieved a bit. To tell a woman that she still can`t get baptized because another matrimonio didn`t go through was a bit rough. Anyway, we later ran into her -- another miracle -- and she told us that her husband had gone to get the last of the papers finished up and they told him that they were already married! They just had to pay 12 soles for a few forms. I know that this was an answer to prayer and fasting. Another moment that touched my heart that the Lord is ever mindful of His children.
 

The familia Davila is doing well. The mom - Betty - and the son - Gian Franco - didn`t come to church on Sunday because she wasn`t feeling well and he had something for school, but Claudia her 12 year old came by herself! She also came to the baptism Saturday night. We went to visit them again after church and had a lesson. We plan on putting a date on them on Wednesday for either this Saturday or the next. Please just pray that her husband can continue to be more open.
 

Hermana Doris after not accepting a date, not accepting a date, not accepting a date...kind of accepted a date! Prayers please. We are hoping for this Saturday. She`s golden she`s just wanting to be sure.

We are seeing the hand of the Lord daily. We just need to always have faith that He hears and knows us. I was studying the story of the Brother of Jared this morning. I love Ether 2¨2. He is apologizing I feel for his fallen state and his imperfections, but in the end he says he knows that prayer is a commandment. It doesn`t matter our imperfections, our struggles, or joys or pains, He has commanded us to tell us about it through prayer. hmmm...I think He`s the best. ever.
 

I love you all. I pray for you. I love reading about your lives, even though maybe you think I don`t. I do.
 

Love Hermana Butterfield

xoxoxoxoxox

 

October 21, 2013

Quickly, Happy birthday to Stacy! I realized I didn`t put that in my last two emails. I`m losing my stinking brain. I hope it was great though!

 

Just another beautiful week here in Bella Mar! We worked hard this week and we have had some really good experiences.  We talked in church yesterday and we sang 'Abide With Me Tis Eventide'. It was the first time I sang in church in my time here. 

 

Tom was confirmed on Sunday!. We are so excited. He truly is such an amazing young man and we are going to work hard to get him incorporated into the ward better. He participated well in Gospel Principles and I know he is going to be a very strong member and example for his family. His family life, like so many here, has many challenges, but he has continued to be a diligent youth regardless. His mom died from cancer 6 years ago. You can tell this affected them a lot -- clearly. He and his dad are really close, though. We went to visit with Tom the other day but he had just gone to do homework so we contacted his dad and had the opportunity to sit and visit with him. He`s hilarious, but quite a scandal. I imagine him like I imagine Grandpa Royter being... haha.  

 

We are working with a family right now -- la familia Davila. The father wants nothing to do with the Gospel, but the mother, Betty, and her two teenagers, GianFranco and Claudia, are listening and have come to church two weeks in a row. We are thrilled with their progress.

 

There is a woman, Juniet, that we have been working with and at first she really wasn`t interested and really only wanted for us to come to teach her son who is seven. She was fairly cold and her personality is very direct and blunt. But we`ve worked with her and now we come for her and we have a great relationship with her. She has us come now even when her son Bruno isn`t home. We taught her three times this week and as much as she had told us she couldn`t come to church and wouldn`t be able to come this week, she came for Sacrament meeting! We were thrilled. She also came to an activity with us on Saturday night with her son. We met her husband and we are hoping and praying that her heart can be opened up just a bit more. 

 

We are planning on having a Noche Blanca this Saturday as a Zone. Basically instead of having just a ward baptism, it`s a stake baptism with all of the areas in our zone. The goal is 15 baptisms. We are so excited especially because whether or not the Noche Blanca happens, we have two investigators that will for sure be baptized and enter into this covenant this Saturday night. They are women that the missionaries before and Hermana Lasike and I have worked with a lot. Hermana Maria Esther will be baptized and she is going to be a strong member. She is wanting for us to work with her son Luis, but he`s pretty difficult. He`s 15 -- go figure. He`s a good kid, but he`s hard. He has seen a difference in his mother though and his younger brothers, Moises and Juancito who were both baptized, and so we hope that he can let this work in him. We taught him the Restoration yesterday...we hope it made an impact. Hermana Evaline also will be baptized this Saturday. She`s been investigating the church for months but she couldn`t be baptized because she wasn`t married. She will get married on Saturday morning and be baptized Saturday night.

 

We need lots of prayers this week. We are definitely seeing miracles and I am loving working with Hermana Lasike. We have a lot of fun doing this work.

 

Something I was thinking a lot of the last couple of weeks and I felt I should share, is how prayed for you all are. Everyone always say that missionaries are the people most prayed for. As true as that is, you are prayed for just as much. When people find out how far we have traveled they think first of our families. Many of them, the first prayer they offer with us is for us and our families that are so far away.

 

But as far away as we are, I don`t think I`ve ever felt so close. There are things I see, read, and hear, that remind me distinctly of each of you. I love you. Hermana Butterfield  xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

 

Two scriptures I loved this week: Alma 18:32 and Mosiah 23:10

October 14, 2013

Well family, I hit my 6 month mark in Peru this Friday! Peru has officially been my home for half a year. I love it so much. 

So I feel that I should share an experience that happened this week. On Thursday, we were contacting a man -- who was awesome -- but the phone started to go off. I went to silence it so it wouldn´t bug us. As I was pressing the button I realized that it was president Marler. I just hung up on the President of my mission. Awesome. But I knew he`d rather me contact. Yeah no big. So as we`re walking I try to call him back. The call wouldn´t go through it wouldn´t go through it wouldn´t go through. Suddenly I felt a splash of water on my face. What the?! Hermana where did that water come from? We´re in the middle of a sand road, no trees in sight, clear sky. Hermana Lasike turns around and looks at me and we both realize what happened. I´ve got bird crap on my face. hahahaha We both start busting up laughing and as soon as this happens, who decides to answer the phone? I am laughing so hard I`m crying, standing in the middle of a road, and President Marler answers his phone. It was a good time. Don´t worry...I wiped it off on the way to an appointment with a post-it note... I love Peru.

This week was really good. We had two baptismal interviews. One was for Hermana Doris. She`s so ready to get baptized she just won`t accept a date! We were hoping the interview would help her get a bit more animated and the Elder said she can get baptized any time, she just wants to be ready. It`s nice because Hermana Lasike and I both have the same idea that we will never pressure someone to be baptized. We can bring them to the water, but we aren`t going to drag them there. It`s hard though because in situations like this we just have to be very patient which is something both of us lack. We also had the interview of a young man named Tom. He`s awesome and we have enjoyed working with him. It`s an interesting story in how we encountered him and how it all happened and I`ll tell you another day...sorry, not a lot of time. He was baptized on Saturday. We are really excited to continue working with him.

We have seen a lot of blessings and I know that the Lord is blessing this area because the ward members are working hard as well. We had interviews with President and Sister Marler on Friday and I just love working with them. I know I am where I am in the time I am here because I need to work with them. They are truly wonderful people.

Well I love you. Be good. Remember who`s you are.

Love Hermana Butterfield

October 7, 2013

Hola!

Conference was awesome, right?! I actually was able to see about two and a half sessions. One and a half in Spanish so I`m hoping to get the Ensign in English next month. What a blessing to hear the words of living prophets of God! We are so blessed to live in days where we have the ability to listen to them and learn from them. 

It has struck me time and time again and then listening to conference this weekend how hard Satan is attacking the family. I am proud to be a daughter of God and to have the divine qualities He has given me. I am proud to be a daughter, sister and friend to righteous priesthood holders. I am grateful for the opportunity to support them in any way that I can as they righteously fulfill their duties. I know my place in the order of our Lord. Not as a lesser being, but as a support and a helper. Thank you to the examples in my life who have taught me the importance of this role. I am grateful to have a testimony of the power and importance of the priesthood in my life.

As to the work we are loving it. We have had the opportunity to work with a few more members this week and it has been a really good experience. The members here really are supportive and it is a nice change. The Bishop even came out with us to visit an investigator the other night. This investigator, Maria Esther, has been being taught for two months now I believe. She had some concerns so she wouldn`t accept a date. Hermana Lasike and I discussed her one morning in our studies and decided that we should reteach the Gospel of Jesus Christ: Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the End. I felt strongly to share that Faith and Repentance are principles and that we have these in order to endure to the end. That after baptism we don`t have to be perfect, we just have to be humble and try every day to be better than we were the day before. We will have our falls, but we can always get back up. She accepted a date for the end of this month! We are so excited for her and I pray continually that she will continue to feel this desire and be baptized. She is so good and she even shared the pamphlets that the Hermanas have given her in the past and shared her testimony with friends that she wants us to teach. I can see a change in her eyes and it makes me so happy.

I was also impressed in conference by the invitation the authorities have given us: one person by Christmas. I want to know who came to your minds and I hope that each of us can follow this invitation.

Well I love you all. I hope all is well. I pray for you and I can feel your prayers. They strengthen me and help me every day.

Love Hermana Butterfield

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

September 30, 2013

And, September is just about over. Can anyone believe that tomorrow starts October? Or that I hit my 7 month mark this last week? The time is nuts! I´m happy to hear that Elder Zarian was able to make it by this last week. I hope you enjoyed some of the snacks.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JAMES ON SUNDAY! I hope it´s great. I hope that it can be a good day and that you all enjoy Conference this weekend. I´m not sure how that is all going to work out to watch it but I am definitely excited for the Ensign if anything.

Field of Marigolds on way  to Chimbote

My cockroach friend

I love my new area. It´s actually south of Trujillo and my area in Bellamar. It is the south most area in our mission that they send Hermanas. It´s really poor, but I am in love with it. We have a good room, hot water, and I´ve only had to kill one cockroach (: There are some paved roads here but they´re pretty ripped up and for the most part it´s just straight up sand. The days are getting warmer, but the nights are really quite cold and since we´re more coastal there´s always a breeze which gets really cold sometimes. My Companion is Hermana Lasike. She´s Tongan but from Vegas. She´s hilarious and it´s been a really fun experience this last week. We get along well and we both want to work so it´s a good thing

 

Moises Baptism

We had a baptism on Friday. The little boy, Moises (12), that was baptized is so sweet and the ward has really worked with his family. His little brother, Juan (9) was baptized the week before and they were both confirmed on Sunday. During the baptism I was so happy but I couldn´t help feel a little sad that I obviously really hadn´t done anything to help get him to that point, but the happiness came from knowing that this isn´t the last part was very strong. That he still has so much more to learn and I get to be part of that and hopefully a help to his family who still is on the border of accepting the Gospel.

This area is really good. The members in this ward are really supportive and the Bishop is trying really hard to make the mission work the center focus of the ward. It´s definitely a change, but it´s a good one and I´m excited to work more and more with them.

I love the Book of Mormon. One of the goals Hermana Lasike and I have is to read the Book of ¨Mormon in spanish every night before bed. It´s a good experience and in another language you have to think more about what you´re reading.

Well time is short. I love you all. Keep being good. You´re in my prayers.

Love Hermana Butterfield 
 

September 23, 2013

I got my birthday letters from Kyle and Chrissy and Aunt Paula and Uncle Les. Thank you so much. It really was such a great experience to read the experiences and testimonies from everyone. There is such love and power when we can recognize the Lord's hand in our lives.

Hey guess what?! I'm growing up! I received my first transfer last night at 10. There are three different main areas in the Peru Trujillo mission. Trujillo, Huaraz, and Chimbote. I'm going 2-3 hours more north to be in Chimbote! I'm very excited to get to know a bit more about Peru and get to know new people. I'm obviously a bit nervous as I'm sure you can all imagine but it will be a good experience. We can't progress if there is never change. I'm to the point where I need more opportunities to progress and I can't do that as much as I need to. The scariest part is that I will be senior companion...woof! I don't know my companion, but I do know she's kind of Gringa, she's from Tonga! I'm stoked to have this new experience. Prayers, please?

This last week was spent mainly in Razuri with Hermana Watkins while her companion was with their pensionista recuperating. It was a really good experience and my testimony that no matter where we go, no matter where the church is, we have a home and we have people who love and support us. Razuri is a very small area, but Hermana Watkins and I were able to have some good success while we were there and I was definitely grateful for the opportunity to be there.

I was reading this morning in Helaman chapter 6 and there were various parts that struck me, but something that I really liked was in verse 1. The Lamanites we starting to become more righteous than the Nephites and this is for two reasons; The Nephites were becoming prideful and the Lamanites had become firm and steadfast in their faith. In life we really won't have grand visions -- or at least I haven't nor do I believe I ever will, however, as we are humble and we are firm and steadfast in our faith we keep our covenants with Heavenly Father -- we endure to the end.

Well, sorry it's short. I hope everything is going well back home. I love you all so much and miss you. Keep being good, keep making good choices and don't do drugs. Read your scriptures, say your prayers, and go to church. They're all important to remain faithful and safe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

September 17, 2013

Sorry I`m a day late. It was an interesting couple of days. Sunday I received a phone call from the Elder that`s in charge of health asking me how I would feel about going to another area, Razuri, for 3 days to spend with one of the Hermanas while her companion was in the mission home recuperating from a surgery. Why yes I would love to! Also, we had a multi-zone conference yesterday so our p-day was moved to today, but since I was with Hermana Watkins I was in a different zone and they had their multi-zone today so I attended the same meeting two days in a row and did not have a p-day haha It was a good meeting though so I don`t mind too much.

And now the story of Martha. She was so ready and we were so excited to meet with her to share the last two commandments and go over the baptismal interview questions to help prepare her. We went to see her on Tuesday like we had planned and to our dismay she wasn`t there. Her son-in-law told us that she had moved to live with her son in another area. We were devastated. We knew that there were problems in her family and we were sad that maybe things had just gotten too bad. We decided to pass by again on Wednesday to see if anything had changed. No. She still wasn`t there. So we left our number with her family and hoped that we would hear from her. Nothing. On Friday we started a fast in the afternoon as a district. I felt like we should pass by her house one more time as we still hadn`t heard anything. We went and there she was! She had been ill and had had to stay at her son`s home for a few days. We were a bit concerned that maybe she had forgotten about her baptism for that Saturday, but we asked when we could come to teach her again and she said that it had to be before Saturday because Saturday was her baptism. We were so happy and as we were walking away I stopped my companions and we said a prayer of thanks right there in the sidewalk. She was baptized on Saturday and I know that she felt something special.

The Lord answers our prayers. Big or small they are answered. Sometimes they are answered in ways you don`t expect, sometimes they are instant, and sometimes they take a while to be answered, but they are answered.

Sunday we had Stake Conference. It was a broadcast for all of Peru so that was cool. Did you know that Richard G. Scott spoke Spanish?! I didn`t. Elder Bednar used a translator. That`s cool too I guess haha. President Bednar spoke about repentance and it was really good. He talked about how it`s a sincere desire one has to change. He recounted a story of how a man who had had a difficult time in paying tithing and hadn`t paid tithing in a long time one day went to his Bishop with an envelope with his tithing and said that he wanted to have an interview to receive his temple recommend to be able to attend his daughter`s wedding. The Bishop said thank you for paying your tithing and that he could come back another day and they could talk about the need of worthiness to receive his temple recommend. That just because he had paid his tithing didn`t mean that he was worthy or ready to enter the temple. The man was furious and called his Stake President, President Bednar, saying that the Bishop was in error and that he needed a temple recommend. President Bednar explained that the Bishop was correct in his judgment. That just because he had paid his tithing, didn`t mean that he was repentant and was worthy to receive the ability to enter the temple. It might seem harsh but it`s true. Repentance isn`t something we do just because we want something, we do it because we want to align our lives and our will with the Father. I really liked his talk. President Scott talked about women and the importance to remember our femininity. The world is constantly trying to change us to be more like man and discount our sacred roles as women. I am so grateful for the blessings and gifts that come from being a daughter of God and I am grateful for the examples of exemplary women in my life.

I love you all so much. I love you and pray for you daily. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Love Hermana Butterfield

September 9, 2013

Hola family! Well, it`s been another week already!

We went to Chan Chan today! And the sun actually came out and it is warm today! Wahoo! It is a gigantic museum of ruins of the ancient people who lived here. It was really pretty cool. We did have a tour guide and I understood more or less of what they were saying. It was a cool thing to see and I can say that I`ve been to Chan Chan now.  

With Hermana Villanueva as the Leader of the sisters in our zone I have had various opportunities to spend time with Hermana Manwill in our area with just us. The experiences always are for growth. It`s really hard at times, but I know that I am able to grow and learn in more ways.

I also had the experience to spend the day on Saturday with Hermana Wayman (a new sister in our zone) in her area while her companion Hermana Carbone was in the clinic with Hermana Arancibia. Hermana Arancibia has been having some health issues as of late. They finally figured our what it was and she had to have her gallbladder removed. She was in a lot of pain and Hermana Carbone was her trainer so she wanted her there. It was a good experience to work with Hermana Wayman and it`s always good learning experience to go to another area and see the form in how other missionaries teach.

We are excited about the baptism that we will be having this week! Hermana Martha is wonderful and truly an investigator of gold. I would like to relate an experience that we had with her this week. We knew that we had to teach her the commandment of the Sabbath Day, but we were concerned if this would be her breaking point. She vends 3 nights during the week from 10 pm - 6 am. One of these days is Saturday which carries over into Sunday. She`s always been willing to leave work and come straight to church with us although very tired. Before I never would have thought much of this -- she`s willing and able to attend church and doesn`t work the rest of the day so there`s really no problem. But that`s not the commandment. I will admit I was hurting and scared to have to teach her this. When we taught her the law and told her what that meant, there was a look in her eyes that I can`t quite explain. It was almost a look of fear mixed with pain. She said, oh but I work Sunday mornings --- and without a second thought said --- but the law is the law and it`s written in the scriptures. I guess I will have to vend on Wednesdays instead. It broke my heart because as happy as I was and as grateful as I was at her preparedness and for the Lord`s hand in this experience, I couldn`t help but think of all of the times I have justified myself in shifting my train of thought and actions to fit my wants or my needs. This woman was and is so willing to make sacrifices that are very difficult. I hope that I can be so noble one day.

We have had many prayers and fasts answered in this last change and I am so grateful to the Lord in blessing me in so many ways that I am so unworthy to receive. He truly knows each of us so well and knows what we need, when we need it. He saves us in the moments that sometimes seem too difficult. I know He listens to us. I know He hears us. I know He loves us.

Be good. Be strong. Don`t do drugs.

Love Hermana Butterfield

Thank you so much for the birthday letters! It was such a treat to read them. I am so blessed to have had so many thoughts and love sent my way!

September 2, 2013

Happy September, everybody!

Thank you for the birthday wishes! It was such a good day. We had our weekly planning like we have every Thursday which lasts until lunch. When we went to lunch, my pensionista had prepared a surprise party with my District. She prepared one of my favorite meals and had cake and lots of other goodies. She and her husband had also stayed up until 4:00 in the morning making little goodie boxes for all of us. It was such a treat. Hermana Bedoya and Hermana Evans (other sisters in our zone) called me and sang happy birthday as well. We also had FHE with them (the Anticona family -- Freddy, Jessica, Patrick, and Fabrizio). Fabrizio turned 4 on Monday and I turned 22 on Thursday. We thought that was pretty fun. They truly are my family here. We talked about family prayer and the importance of it and the blessings we receive. We played games, too.

As to investigators -- Gonzalo our recent convert didn`t come to church this week. We were rather disappointed and concerned. So we called him after our meetings and he said that his mother had been sick so he had had to tend her. He also was sad that he hadn`t been able to attend. WHEW! But he had gone to a YSA activity this weekend and had really enjoyed it and was planning to attend a meeting at the church that evening to prepare to receive the Priesthood! WAHOO! Ok, we felt better. What an amazing feeling to have a convert progress more and more.

We recently started teaching a sister, Martha. She is golden as well. We have he baptismal date set for the 14th of this month. She also has been prepared to hear the Gospel. She is a sweet woman who has such good intentions. I really enjoy teaching her. We don`t really have to do much because she understands and wants to learn more.

The sad note for the week is that we are going to have to drop Santiago most likely. We have gotten to the point where all he really wants in a knowledge of things. He doesn`t want to use faith -- he just wants facts.

It`s caused me to think more and more about faith. Many times as people we want a knowledge of things. We don`t want to use faith. But there is a reason that faith is the first principle in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we have faith in Jesus Christ. we are willing to repent. When we are willing to repent, we permit the Lord to change us. We permit Him to change our very being and we can see hope and light in this life. I can`t imagine a life without faith in something more. It seems quite bleak and empty. But we have faith in something greater. That there is more to this life and that we can change. We show our faith when we follow the commandments of God and we follow the words of His prophets.

Thank you for your love and support. You are always in my prayers and I can feel yours as well. 

Love Hermana Butterfield

August 26, 2013

6 months tomorrow! Can you believe it? It´s quite shocking to me as well. I´m not sure if it´s just me and the time in the mission field, or does it seem quick to you all as well?

This week....Gonzalo was baptized! Wahoo! It was definitely a happy day. I don´t know what it is, but I like teaching men more than women. I think part of it is that they are not only baptized and confirmed, but with time they have another potential to recieve the Priesthood as well. To see this grand potential is something I never really thought of as deeply as I have now. Gonzalo truly was a golden investigator. The moment he started acting to learn for himself the Spirit worked within him and he progressed so quickly. So after 2 months he has been baptized and confirmed a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You can just see the happiness radiating from his eyes.

This week we enncountered various new investigators and many seem to have such great potential. The Lord works in mysterious ways. It´s after our times of trials and difficulties, our times of preparation and anticipation that He begins to reveal miracles. It´s so true in our everyday lives. We all have difficult times and times where it seems like things just won´t happen, or just won´t work out, but these are times of preparation that the Lord gives us so that we can recognize the complete and true happiness and joy that comes from His tender mercies.

Sorry it´s short this week, but know I love you all very much. You are my strength and I am so forever grateful for the love and support you give me. Thank you for being the rocks that keep me strong.

Love Hermana Butterfield

Thank you for the birthday wishes! I will try not to be too homesick on Thursday :) I have a lot of love here as well though so know I am well taken care of. I love you!

August 19, 2013

Hola Familia!

Well, it`s been another week -- New experiences and new miracles

My companion Hermana Villanueva has a new daughter, Hermana Manwill. If you want to know what she`s like, think of my sister-in-law Chrissy. I`m not even kidding. They are identical. If I didn`t know any better I would think they were members of the same family. Being a big sister is a cool experience and I get the opportunity to help train her which is good practice. It`s a really humbling experience to see how far I have come in the language and in my knowledge of the gospel. I am humbled at the fact that the Lord has blessed us at this time an opportunity for me to torture my brain a little more. Translating constantly is hard. I can`t remember certain words or the order in how to say things in English sometimes but it`s stretching me and it`s really helpful for both of my companions that I am able to do it. Give me two more months in the field and I`m hoping to be basically fluent. Learning a new language is a love hate relationship and I`m learning to love it.

This last week I completed 4 months in the field and in the next week I will complete 6 months in my mission. I can hardly believe it. At times the time seems so slow but for the most part it is flying. I am so grateful for this grand opportunity and blessing that the Lord has given me and so many others to learn and teach His gospel. I learn so much every day about the conversion that we have to have to stay faithful.

We were talking to a less active member on Sunday and we started talking about our activity in the church. I almost started crying when he told us that after their conversion, his wife and children, after time became inactive. For 15 years he stayed active in the church. He held respective callings and fulfilled his role as a worthy priesthood holder, but one Sunday after 15 years of going alone, he stayed home with his wife to be with her and he never went back. He wanted to stay active and faithful, but without the support of his wife, with time it just got too difficult. Even now he yearns to go back, but he lacks the determination to take that first step. We are going to visit with them this week and talk about the importance of church attendance. That is something I challenge you all to study and ponder this week -- the Sabbath day and how we can better honor it. There are promised blessings that come from sanctifying this day. I promise you that if you can strive to find ways to better remember the Lord on this day -- the one day of seven that He asks for -- you will feel His spirit more profoundly in your lives. He will bless you with a peace and rest that comes only from Him. Please. Please. Please. Remember the importance of the gospel in your lives. We have no idea how blessed we are.

As to our investigators, my testimony of the law of the fast has once again been renewed. Gonzalo will be baptized this week! Please keep him in your prayers. He truly is an investigator of gold. We are so excited for him and this next step that he is taking to become closer to our Father in Heaven. With Santiago, we taught him this week about the Sabbath day (it`s been on my mind a lot as of late) and he came to church! He is progressing but he lacks a testimony of the Book of Mormon so we just need to work with him a bit more. Please pray for him as well. 

Well, family, I love you -- with all of my heart, 3 bags full. Thank you for your love, your support and your prayers. Always remember what you believe, but more importantly why you believe it. The Lord has blessed our family so much and he will continue to bless us as we live in accordance to His laws.

Love, Hermana Butterfield

August 12, 2013

Nice

Making Chocolate Chip Cookies

August 12, 2013

I know I say this all the time, but I really can`t believe the date! I hit my four month mark in Peru yesterday and it just seems so strange.

This week was filled with new and good opportunities for growth. My companion is the Sister in charge of all of the sisters in my zone so she has to attend a leadership training meeting once a month. Normally, before I would have gone to another area in our zone with other sisters, but this time since there`s a trio in another area, Hermana Grow came to my area and we spent the day together here. It was definitely a good experience. We didn´t really have much success in lessons, however, with two gringas walking around, contacting was a bit easier...we had people come up to us. How lucky!

Pres. y Sister Marler

On Thursday, the Marler`s had put together a meeting for just the sisters in the mission home. It was really fun and it was a good opportunity to learn from the other sisters. We did practices and talked about extending commitments and following up. We talked about wardrobe and looking professional. President Marler and Sister Marler both gave short discourses. There is always a sweet spirit there with them.

On Saturday again Hermana Grow came to my area and Hermana Villanueva went to Huanchaco to help the sisters there. We got to teach a couple of lessons which was fun. It`s cool to be able to teach a lesson in Spanish to the needs of the person and to know that I couldn`t do that before. It was far from perfect and the family still didn`t come to church, but I am so grateful that Heavenly Father is always there to guide us when we are doing His work.

This week we have changes. I was almost positive that I would be changing areas, but nope! I will have at least one more change here in Los Jardines. We will however be getting a new companion and Hermana Villanueva will be training again. I have a feeling since she will be busy as usual with her other assignments I will be helping quite a bit, so it will be a good help for the future changes. We don`t know anything about her, other than that she`s a gringa. I can feel my Spanish retreating already...shoot. No, I`m still going to continue to speak in Spanish. I can lose what I have...haha

Well family, it sounds like everything is going well. I love to hear from you and what is going on in your lives. Thank you for your love and support and always sharing your fun experiences. They are precious to me.

Hermana Villanueva

Calle Larco

Keep being good, don`t do drugs.

Studying Doctrine in Spanish

I can split an apple with my hands
Thank you Hermana Grow

Love Hermana Butterfield

August 5, 2013

The 5th of August...I can`t believe it truthfully...time is certainly flying. 

This week...this week was a week of miracles. My testimony of the fast has definitely grown. Here`s a nice little story for you. Let`s be honest, our numbers have been terrible and we really haven`t been very successful in having lessons as of late. We are working and doing what we can, but no one is ever home. Really quite frustrating to be completely honest. We have one investigator, Gonzalo, who we have been teaching for quite some time. We saw success with him in the last week, but he failed to come to church. We have been praying and hoping that he could feel something that would lead him to progress. On Wednesday we met with him and we talked about faith. He told us that he wants to have more faith, the kind of faith that we have. And he expressed again his desire to be baptized! We invited him to have a tour of the church on Saturday, hoping that maybe it would help him feel more comfortable and settle any type of fear that he had. He came and it went well. To conclude we went to the chapel and talked about the Sacrament and read the Sacrament prayer with him. He seemed pleased and said he was emotional and excited to come.

Divergence .. other investigator, Santiago. He`s an older gentleman that we have taught and we feel that he is sincere it`s just hard to encounter him at his house. We had invited him to church a few times, Hermana Diaz and I, but he never came. So when Hermana Villanueva invited him and he said yes, I will admit, my faith was weak.

We started our fast on Saturday after lunch and we had decided that we were going to fast especially for these to men that they could progress.

On Sunday when we arrived we entered the chapel and to my amazement, Santiago was there! He had come and was sitting quietly in the pew. I was so happy. I looked around and to my dismay there was no sign of Gonzalo. His friend was there, but not Gonzalo. BAH! So much time and more effort with him and he didn`t even come. Our progressing investigator once again fell. I was shifting between feelings of happiness for Santiago and frustration for Gonzalo.

Well, I went up towards the end of the meeting to share my testimony (which has definitely gotten easier for sure). As I look over our ward there was Gonzalo! He had come and I was so happy!

Heavenly Father answers our prayers. He hears us and He knows exactly what we need. I know that because we exercised faith the Lord helped two of His children to exercise their faith as well.

This week we have a meeting in the mission home with just the Sisters. I`m pretty excited to see what they have planned for us. I think it will be a really neat opportunity. 

We have changes on Sunday and we will see what happens. The time before changes there is always a lot of anticipation, but we also know that with every change we are able to grow a little bit more.

Another thing that I have been thinking a lot about is our conversion to the Gospel. In the church there are two types of members. Members who are converted to the church and members who are converted to the Gospel. When we are converted to the Gospel, we have a desire to share what we know and believe to be true. Let`s be converted to the Gospel. Through the Gospel we recognize who we are and who`s we are.

Well family, I love you! Keep doing good, keep doing the simple things, remember who you are, don`t do drugs.

Love Hermana Butterfield

¨Being blessed with hope, let us, as disciples, reach out to all who, for whatever reason, have moved away from the hope of the gospel. Let us reach to lift hands which hang hopelessly down.¨ Elder Neal A. Maxwell.